West Winds is a beautiful house lived in and rented out by the owner, Mary. It is a 2nd home for her 11 grandchildren and as a result is a brilliant place for kids on holiday. Aside from the list of things above, there is a hammock that is big enough to seat four people and hundreds of books/games for kids. The housekeeper, Nimanthi has three wonderful children, who in August 2012 were 7, 5 and 1 year old. There are also two friendly dogs, two beautiful cats that like being stroked and lots of chickens. Our children liked this place so much it was hard to drag them to the Olympic sized swimming pool just 1.7km away at Jetwing Lagoon Hotel. Mary arranged for us to use this pool for 1500 rupees for the family per day ~£7.50. The pool is lovely, our 7 year old could touch the bottom, and plenty of wide steps make it safe for smaller kids as well.
It's Sri Lanka and situated right on the beach, so the electricity is slightly temperamental, but armed with torches, the kids loved playing hide and seek in the dark a couple of times and lanterns are lit so the adults can still see to drink a chilled beer or coconut milk out of the shell. Being right on the beach also means that kids can play in the waves, catch crabs and look for shells for hours on end.
Padma's cooking is better than anything you will get in a restaurant in town, expect to eat mountains of food, extremely well prepared, with excellent variety as well as attention to what the kids want. Nimanthi looked after us so well, and with her experience of working with Mary's family for over a decade, her English is excellent.
Mahinda keeps the house looking immaculate, however, that does not mean that the house is like a collection of sanitised hotel rooms. It is a home filled with pictures, paintings, photos and Barefoot linens that make it very welcoming.
Anil is on hand to drive you anywhere, any time, so it is very easy to go into Negombo 20 mins away (fish-market, souvenirs, gem shops (Rings & Things seems trustworthy), or further afield to Colombo just less than an hour away. Nimanthi and Anil can also arrange for you to go out on a fishing boat to the lagoon. If you're lucky you may spot a crocodile, if you're not lucky you'll still get to see lots of flying fish.
In summary, this is a lovely home that it is a heaven for children to enjoy themselves in. This means that parents can spend their time relaxing, looked after by an excellent and welcoming team of people in a beautiful country.